Reality or a Dream?
by Emma Stargaze
Summary: Ichigo goes to Las Noches to save Orihime, only to fall into Szayel's trap. Now he's in an alternate universe, where nothing makes sense. Grimmjow says he's his bf, Ulqui's obsessed with him, and... Urahara's in charge of Las Noches? Yaoi, GrimmIchi
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: Ichigo goes to Las Noches to save Orihime, only to trip into a trap prepared by Szayel. Now everyone's acting weird. Why is Urahara Kisuke in charge of Las Noches? Why is Grimmjow claiming to be his boyfriend? And why is Ulquiorra obsessed with him? Most importantly... Where __is he?_

_Warning: Some language, yaoiness, blah, blah...  
_

_Disclaimer: No, I do not own bleach.  
_

_A.N: Yeah, so I'd really appreciate it if people reviewed. Tell me if you want Ichigo to be with Grimmjaw or Ulquiorra, and in which universe. _

**_Also tell me if you want me to write both sides of the universe, or only the one our Ichigo fell into._**

* * *

Grimmjow dodged another attack, grinning. This was almost _too_ good. The red head was growing frustrated, and thus irrational. For once Szayel had come up with a good idea. Just a bit farther...

Grimmjow skidded to a stop. Szayel was quick to be in the Shinigami's path, tearing a hole in midair with a strange device. Ichigo stopped just in time to keep from falling in. So Grimmjow caught him unawares and gave him a shove. He waited for the portal to close before walking a way.

A sound akin to tearing paper echoed through the hall. He turned, watching in disbelief as the red-haired shinigami fell from the portal.

He looked dazed and confused. Searching brown eyes paused once locking on Grimmjow. A smile, albeit small, tugged at Ichigo's features. "That was weird. Urahara-sama must be testing anther experiment of his or something."

Grimmjow stared for a moment, trying to figure out what kind of trick this could be. Unable to come up with any answers, he tried a different method. Questions.

"What the hell kinda ploy are you up too?" The red head looked hurt at Grimmjow's question. When said Shinigami was suddenly before Grimmjow, he found himself unsure of what to do. It was when Ichigo placed his arms around his waist that he realized what was happening, pushing the red head away.

* * *

Ichigo groaned as his head hit the floor, rubbing the forming bump. A familiar laugh, just less predatory than usual, caught his attention. He pressed his hands against the cold floor, forcing himself to his feet.

"What could've made the great Shinigami to fall so hard?" The voice was cocky and taunting, and undoubtedly Grimmjow's. He prepared himself for an attack, eyeing the espada warily.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "You're too sensitive. You might as well hang out with Ulquiorra." Confusion had gained a knew definition for the substitute shinigami.

The walls were still the same plain white. He was wearing the same outfit. The air still smelled like stale fish.

_So what's different?_ The question answered itself with surprising ease. _The people. Or at least Grimmjow_, he supposed.

"Right. If you want to pout all day, I'm not gonna stop you. But you'll have to sit by Ulquiorra then." The tone of voice revealed that Grimmjow expected something in response. Something in particular. But what? And what was he talking about? He couldn't see Grimmjow as the type to use mind games. Ulquiorra, yes, but even then it would be more subtle.

_Jus' play along, King_.

He would normally just ignore Hichigo, but his advice was the best Ichigo had. And Grimmjow was starting to look irritated. He quickly struggled for a response that wouldn't require too much knowledge of what was going on.

"Uh... Sorry. Think I hit my head a bit too hard."

Grimmjow seemed to accept this, walking off. He called over his shoulder, "So you comin' or not?"

Ichigo shunpo'd so he could catch up, unsure of what to do next. He wondered if he could risk a question. But he was just so out of the know, he had to ask. "Where are we going?"

"Throne room. You really did hit your head hard." Incredulity was obvious.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Many doors were passed, and Ichigo found the silence eerie as it dragged on. Grimmjow kept his gaze straight, giving no clue to the strangeness of the situation.

The espada abruptly stopped. It took Ichigo a few steps to realize this, having to backtrack. The world blurred for a second, as one moment he was standing in the middle of the hallway, and the next Grimmjow was pinning him to the wall. _I'm such an idiot. Of course this is all a trick!_ That thought promptly fell from his mind when surprisingly soft lips pressed against his. Instead, he was thinking something more along the lines of, _What the hell?_ and, _Why aren't I struggling?_

Grimmjow pulled away relatively soon, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_?" Ichigo repeated. Las Noches is one messed up place, if the arrancar just go around kissing people and considering it normal. He was too mind-blown to respond, ending up waving his arms around in an attempt to get something out.

"Is this for saying you should hang out with Ulquiorra? Damn, you _are_ sensitive." Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get going."

A few more doors and they had entered the throne room. The long table was familiar, as were many of the arrancar. So were the three people at the head of the room.

"Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai are here?"

"Urahara-_sama_," a voice corrected.

Ichigo turned his head to find the source of the voice. It belonged to Ulquiorra. "Are _you_ normal, then?"

Ulquiorra's blank stare gave Ichigo hope. Then Grimmjow decided to crumble the simple prospect of hope into tiny bits of powder, blending it in with the dirt on the floor.

"As normal as he gets. Ulquiorra, I've told you to stop flirting with _my_ boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Ichigo repeated.

"I meant you," Grimmjow clarified, as if Ichigo had been asking him if he was with someone else.

"I'm not flirting with him. He needs to be respectful towards our leader." Ulquiorra's usual stoic voice was faltering, as if he was not only lying, but doing a bad job of it. His gaze averted to Ichigo for a second longer than necessary.

"Wait, so why don't we sit with Ulquiorra?"

"He's a wimp and wants to get in your pants. What else?"

"Szayel?" Indeed, it was not Grimmjow who had answered.

The scientist rolled his eyes. "Of course it's me. Now, I'll have you know I have-."

A voice yelled over everyone else. Urahara's voice. "Everyone! Take a seat. We're about to have our meeting."

Ichigo didn't know when it had happened, but he was soon sitting between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, the latter of the two seeming to be unable to take his eyes off of Ichigo. It was creeping him out, as he felt a chill run down his back.

"Can you stop staring?" he hissed to the espada.

"You're different."

Well, at least Ichigo knew Ulquiorra wasn't staring for perverse reasons now, as Grimmjow had made him think. "Me? Everyone _else_ is different."

"Have something you'd like to share with us, Ichigo-kun?"

His head shot up, eyes meeting with a familiar blue. _Urahara really _**is**_ here. Damn. How would I respond if I were an espada referring to Aizen?_

Probably the same as he would if he _wasn't_ an espada. "Can you not call me that?"

"...excuse me?"

"Ichigo-kun. It should be _Kurosaki_-kun, at the very least."

A smile stretched across the straw-hat-wearing man. "And I thought Aizen had permanently broken you."

"Aizen?"_ If the man isn't head of Las Noches, what is he?_ Ichigo was fumbling for an answer to this, unable to find one. His mind kept on coming up with a blank.

"No worries. He's still stuck in comatose."

The world truly _didn't _make any sense. Ichigo was sure of it now.

The rest of the meeting commensed in a way Ichigo figured was normal. Ulquiorra glanced at him everyonce in a while, and Grimmjow shot said espada glares just as often.

When the pointless meeting ended, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow. He needed to know. "What did Aizen do to me?"

Grimmjow bared his teeth, sharp canines visible. "What did he _do to you_? If you don't remember, I'm not gonna remind you. That guy's sick."

"I'll tell you."

Ichigo turned to Ulquiorra, who now had his full attention. He ignored Grimmjow's warning growl, urging the black-haired espada to go on.

"Once your family was killed by soul society-."

"My family was killed by soul society?"

"Fine. Once your _sisters_ were killed by soul society," Ulquiorra continued, "you went to Urahara-sama here in las Noches to ask for help to get revenge. However, you were captured by Aizen before you reached the castle. No one knows for sure what he did to you, but Grimmjow happened upon the hiding place and was in a bad mood, so he beat Aizen up."

"Grimmjow beat Aizen up?" One senseless thing after the other. "And I couldn't?" It felt like he was playing make-believe with a child, who was insisting weird things had happened. It was his job to play along, and try to figure out just how their pretend world worked.

"Aizen was asleep, and thus caught unawares. I managed to show up before he killed either of you and convinced him to bring you back to the castle. Aizen was locked up and is currently being kept in a permanent sleep state. You were kept asleep until you were healthy again."

"...okay. And that somehow made me submissive?"

Grimmjow had apparently had enough of being ignored. "Listen, Ichigo. I've got a mission on earth, and you're going with me."

Ichigo was taken aback by how much of a command it was. "Why?"

"I'm your surperior, and I said so."

The shinigami raised a brow. "My superior?"

"Yeah. Number six. You're number nine. Forget?"

"I'm not an espada." Ichigo was sure of this.

Grimmjow sighed, exasperated, before lifting up Ichigo's baggy black sleeve. "See, a nine... Where's the nine?"

Ichigo yanked his arm back. "I'm not numbered, because I'm _not_ an espada."

"Right. Nifty shinigami kudou spells. You still have to go, even if you removed the number."

He decided to just give in. He was baffled, and the situation just kept getting stranger. "Fine, I'll go with you on your mission. What is it, anyways?"

"Thought you'd never ask. We're supposed to capture that girl who helped kill your sister."

"Who?"

Grimmjow stopped, staring him down as if asking if he was truly serious. After a few moments, he said, "I know this Rukia girl used to be your friend, but seriously, she admitted that she had helped kill your sister for a place in the Kuchiki family."

Ichigo decided to limit the number of questions he asks for now on.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N: Ok, so I updated pretty fast. That was cuz I got so many reviews. :D Anyways, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. If it does, feel free to tell me. BTW, **I love constructive criticism.** And please not the word constructive. Anyways, thank you to the following for reviewing:_

**_ThierryMyst, masterofmercury, dishrag-chan, and Alexandria'S Qiora(XD) ()_** _(Awesome name, by the way, Alexandria'S Qiora. LOL!)_

_And thanks to those who faved/alerted my story, even if you didn't review. I'm hoping that if this chapter is any good, silent readers will review :P_

* * *

The town was lit up by the early morning sun, grass sparkling with last night's rain, birds filling the silent morning air with happy chirps.

Ichigo sat down on the roof beside a crouching Grimmjow, a shock of cold wetness going through his pants as he managed to sit on a puddle. Cursing silently, he got back to his feet. "What are we waiting for?" He hugged himself to fight off the frigid cold.

Grimmjow didn't bother to answer, apparently finding the question stupid. Instead he kept looking around, as if expecting something.

Out of nowhere, a person dressed entirely in black, appearing to be a ninja, shot an arrow. Ichigo brought Zangetsu up just in time to block it, stumbling back from the force. The ninja took out numchucks, swinging them around as if unused to using them.

Ichigo reminded himself that he wasn't going to ask anymore questions, as he fought of the stranger, wondering why Grimmjow was just watching.

He managed to knock the ninja to the ground. He leaned down to pull off the mask, but was knocked to the ground himself. When the ninja got on top of him, he managed to take the ninja by surprise, and pulled down the mask.

"Ishida?"

The quincy jumped off of him, eyes going wide as he spoke hurriedly into a walkie talkie. "Yeah, he's figured it out. ... But I _do_ know how to use numchucks, Rukia. ... Whatever, I've gotta go." He hung up, disappearing as if he'd never been there to begin with.

"Finally," Grimmjow said, before explaining, "She always sends someone before coming herself. She should be here soon."

As if by magic, Rukia was soon before him. At least he _thought_ it was Rukia. Her eyes were still the same fierce brown, dark hair still long with a strand seemingly glued between her eyes. However, her hair was tied up in a pony tail above her head, as if it were a volcano.

"Rukia?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Ichigo," she replied. "Ready to give up?"

"Give up what?" He had nothing of importance on him, aside from his zanpakuto. "You mean Zangetsu?"

She raised a slender brow. "No, idiot. I mean give up and follow me to soul society, where we will give you an execution for your betrayal."

Before Ichigo could ask what she was talking about, Grimmjow interrupted. "He's not goin' with you, shinigami. You're going with us."

She launched herself off the next building over, doing amazing flips in the air. Ichigo found himself immobilized as he took in the odd event. The voice of his hollow was urging him to move, but how could he? This was just too weird.

A clang was heard, his vision blocked. Grimmjow had stopped Rukia's killing blow. "Damn it, Ichigo. We're supposed to capture her, not admire her skills." He pushed Rukia away, handing the fight over to Ichigo.

This time Ichigo managed to block. He didn't have it in him to hurt the Kuchiki air, even if she _was_ different. Still... "Where _did _you learn to flip like that?"

"I was an acrobat in the past life," she answered, seeming happy to share. Apparently it was something she was proud of. Distracted, she started to give detailed information on how she swung from swing to swing, having died by falling and hitting her head. Ichigo wasn't particularly fond of the gory details, trying to look interested as Grimmjow snuck up behind her. She paused, sensing the espada's presence. Before she could do anything, Grimmjow had hit her on the back of her head, knocking her out cold.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the original world, a more recognizable Grimmjow found himself fending off a strange Ichigo. "What's the hell's wrong with you?"

Ichigo raised a brow. "Me? You're the one acting weird."

Ishida ran around the corner, skidding to a stop upon seeing Ichigo trying to assault Grimmjow in one way or another. "Stop messing around, Kurosaki!"

Said shinigami looked up in confusion. _Wasn't he in a ninja phase?_ "Are you here to take me back to soul society?"

"No, you idiot. I'm here to save Inoue, like you. Now get off the ground and fight!"

Ichigo got to his feet, facing Ishida in a defensive stance. The quincy seemed on the verge of ripping out hair. "Not me!"

Ichigo lowered his sword. "Ishida, you're not making any sense. Tell Rukia her mind games won't work on me anymore."

"No, shinigami, _you're_ not making any sense," Grimmjow said, agreeing with the quincy on this one.

Then Ulquiorra, who had been eaves dropping, decided to join in. "Even if you find Orihime, she won't follow you."

"Why do I need to find someone who's not lost?"

For once, even Ulquiorra found himself confused. "You didn't come here to save Orihime?"

Ichigo sat back down on the ground, as if two powerful enemies weren't hovering over him. "I didn't come here, remember? I was _brought_ here. You of all people should know that, Ulquiorra." He remained oblivious of the blank stares he was receiving. He wasn't oblivious to the quincy dragging him away, however.

"What're you doing?" he demanded, forced to walk so as not to drag his feet.

"Taking you to Karakura town to see Urahara. We can't save Inoue when you're acting like an idiot."

"Urahara-sama? You know him personally?"

Chad, who had just approached, had a questioning stare. Ishida answered with a, "Don't ask."

* * *

Ichigo wondered if he'd ever wake up. After all, this had to be a dream. Or maybe he had died and gone to a lesser hell. Because this was _definitely_ not heaven. Or reality, in any case.

Especially when Grimmjow kept trying to kiss him. He had to admit, the espada was sexy, but Ichigo does _not_ like him that way. Or at least he thinks he doesn't... _No, I definitely don't like him like that!_ Ichigo tried to reassure himself.

He was currently in Grimmjow's room, who claimed it to also be Ichigo's room. The red head only believed him because there were two beds. Rukia had been brought to Urahara, still unconscious. He had yet to know what would happen to her. Rumor had it that she would be forced to join the arrancar army, but no one knew for sure.

Ichigo had no warning as Grimmjow abruptly started undressing, undoubtedly to put on night clothes. _Pajamas,_ he corrected, but it didn't seem to fit. Grimmjow and pajamas almost made him want to laugh...

"You gonna stare at me all night?"

Ichigo flushed and ducked his head, not wanting to see the espada's cocky smirk. "I wasn't staring." Trying to change the subject, he asked, "So where are my PJ's?"

"PJ's? Oh, yeah, that human term. Second drawer. Orihime switched them again."

"Orihime?" Ichigo had nearly forgotten all about her. Why was she in his dream?

"Yeah. That arrancar girl. If she weren't so love-everything," Grimmjow said, sounding disgusted, "then maybe she would have a rank with the espada. But instead she does all the chores around here."

Ichigo was digging through the drawer Grimmjow had mentioned as said hollow spoke. _It's surprising how no one finds it strange that I don't know anything. They always have some reason for it. _He remembered a movie he had watched, where an alien was going to a public high school. The alien had accidently flown to catch the ball, but no one out of all the viewers thought anything of it. When the alien had eaten a cricket, everyone just figured it was being weird.

He felt sort of like the alien right now, not knowing anything about the people around him, yet with no one realizing that he's practically from another planet. _Or dimension, universe, realm... something weird._

The door opened right as Ichigo had taken off his shirt to change. Normally it wouldn't bother him if another guy saw his chest. But this was not a normal occurrence.

Ulquiorra had opened the door, and currently stood staring at Ichigo with wide eyes. Ichigo instinctively pulled his pajama shirt on as quick as he could, a baggy T that showed nothing. Neither acknowledged Grimmjow's warning growl.

"Urahara-sama says that Aizen has awoken, and that Ichigo may speak to him in the morning if he wants."

He actually wanted to speak to Szayel, the one who had started the weirdness in the first place, but he'd take what he could get. "Sure." The two pairs of eyes on him were disconcerting. "I mean, it can't hurt , right?"

He didn't take Ulquiorra's abrupt departure as a good sign. At least he had his own bed...

* * *

_A.N: I wanted to make Ulquiorra come in and be like, "Hey, that's my bed!" but more in character, of course, and Ichigo to have to share a bed with Grimmjow... but it didn't quite work. ((sighs)) Anyways! Please Review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A.N: The next chapter has arrived! WHOOT! And weird, since I didn't really feel like typing up a next chapter. But all the reviews made me SO happy, I just had to! So thank you so, so, so very much to:_

_**Randomidiot15**,** TealEyedBeing**,** Dark Green Poop** (LOL at the name!), **Kitsune's Dark Shadow**, and **ThierryMyst**._

_You guys inspired me to write the next chapter! I'd thank you each individually, but I'm lazy... And tell me if I missed you! Anyways, onto the disclaimer!_

_Disclaimer: Still own _nothing_ except the clothes on my back :P_

_And thanks those who put me on story alert! But your name doesn't get mentioned unless you review XD That makes you less thanked. LOL  
_

* * *

Grimmjow watched, perplexed, as his red-haired enemy was dragged away by the quincy. _Why the hell's he shoutin' for me to help him?_

The alternate Ichigo was wondering why Grimmjow _wasn't_ helping him, and was starting to get desperate. He didn't want to hurt the quincy, but he couldn't let himself be dragged off to soul society. He hid a grin as an idea came to mind.

When the quincy seemed plenty distracted, Ichigo shouted, "Look! Your dad!" Ishida instantly dropped him, looking around. Confused, he turned back to Ichigo, only to find the red head gone. A look around revealed said shinigami attacking Grimmjow in untraditional ways.

Ishida had to admit, Ichigo's approach on fighting the espada was working well. Grimmjow had yet to attack. Still, it was disturbing to see his friend act so... perverted. Observing the situation for a second more, he decided Ichigo could manage himself. "C'mon, Chad."

"Wait! Don't leave this freak with me!"

Ishida ignored the six's plea, managing to get Chad to do so as well.

* * *

Ichigo had never been a homophobe. Actually, he's never even thought about his _own_ sexuality. Orihime's big chest never turned him on, and, though Renji was kind of hot, he never _wanted_ the guy.  
He figured he was just asexual.

But, back to the point. He has nothing against guys being together.

That doesn't mean he'd take waking up in another man's arms well, though. And that's just how his day started.

Opening blurry eyes, he could feel lithe arms wrapped around him. It took a second for his brain to kick in, and he finally pulled away with a yelp, toppling off the bed. The bit of blanket caught on his foot managed to pull the entire bedding off as he tumbled to the ground. Standing with difficulty, sheets still twisted around his legs, he got a look at who had been sleeping with him. _Sleeping beside me_, he corrected himself, cheeks flushed red.

"Ulquiorra?"

The black haired espada was still sleeping soundly, looking both serene and calm and sleep. Peaceful.

That fact didn't ease Ichigo's horror any. He had fallen asleep alone, and woken up with someone practically spooning him.

Ulquiorra must have been woken by his name, emerald eyes blinking open. He stared for a moment before his eyes focused on Ichigo. "What're you doing in my room?"

"Your room?" Ichigo demanded. "This is _my_ room!"

"Shuddup, Ichigo. I'm trying to sleep," Grimmjow mumbled.

"So was I," said Ichigo, "until I realized Ulquiorra was in my bed."

Ichigo didn't know how, but Grimmjow was soon right beside him, glaring at the other arrancar. "Don't tell me you sleep walked again, Schiffer. What were you doing in his bed?" The last sentence was said with each word short and precise.

Ulquiorra pushed himself into a sitting position, uncaring of the angered sixth. "I went to bed in my room. Then I woke up here. Unless someone moves me in my sleep, I _did_ sleep walk."

"I locked the door," Grimmjow argued. "How could you get past that without being awake?"

Ichigo cleared his throat, both pairs of eyes now on him. "You might want to look at the door."

Taking his advice was a tramatic idea. The door had a hole through the middle, as if someone had blasted it with a cero, splinters of wood on the ground below.

"You broke my door down, and then slept with my boyfriend," Grimmjow said, not bothering to hide his anger as sharp canines became visible in a snarl.

"I slept _beside_ him," Ulquiorra corrected. "I can't help my sleep patterns."

"Then have Szayel give you something!"

A lot of arguing pursued, which Ichigo promptly ignored. It was boring, and he didn't fancy a fight first thing in the morning. He picked out a pair of clothes from the weird drawer Grimmjow had shown him, pulling out the towel that was somehow scrunched in there. _They must have showers here, right?_ He didn't want to ask a stranger, so he'd have to risk asking the two bickerers.

"Hey, Grimmjow? Ulquiorra?" The fighting instantly stopped, as he got their full attention. "Where're the showers in this place?"

He didn't know why, but when they said, "I'll show you," at the same time, it kind of scared him. Still, he _really _wanted a shower. Maybe it would help him wake up. So he stepped aside, letting them lead the way. He wasn't allowed to trail behind for too long, though, as each took one of his sides. Grimmjow stepped between Ichigo and Ulquiorra, possessively placing his arm around Ichigo's shoulders. Ichigo inched closer to the teal-haired arrancar.

It's not that he _liked _being touched by Grimmjow... He just liked how it distanced him from Ulquiorra. And since he had woken up with Ulquiorra in his bed, he wanted to have some distance between them. _Even if it means getting closer to Grimmjow_. If Ulquiorra thought that Ichigo was single, how much more would he try and get him?_ I can only deal with so many perverts at once..._

* * *

In the was-normal world, Grimmjow was _still_ trying to figure out what his enemy was doing. Ulquiorra wouldn't admit it, but he was watching more out of amusement then to gain statistics.

"Why're you _doing _this?" asked the sixth, finding himself backed up against the wall. He was too confused to fight, which for him was saying something.

"Me? Why're _you _acting like you don't know me? Did the whole superior thing get to your head?"

"Superior?"

Ichigo huffed, pulling up his right sleeve. An ink-black 9 adorned his arm. "Whether you like it or not, I'm still the _ninth_ espada. I refuse to fight for a higher position."

"Grimmjow, leave this to me," Ulquiorra ordered.

The red head gripped onto Grimmjow's left arm before he could, for once, willingly obey the fourth espada. "Don't leave me alone with _him_! He's weird and emo!"

"I'm tellin' you, _your're_ the weird one," Grimmjow replied.

Ichigo made to cross his arms, before deciding that holding onto Grimmjow was more important. "Take me to see Urahara-sama."

"Who the hell is that?"

"Our master!"

"_My_ master is Aizen. _Your_ master is..." Grimmjow paused for a second, unsure of quite what to say. "...soul society."

Ichigo gave up on explaining himself. Maybe Szayel had accidently brainwashed everyone. _Then Urahara might've decided to switch places with Aizen in the jail cell things... but isn't he too strong to be brainwashed?_ "Fine. Take me to this Aizen you speak of."

* * *

Entering the shower room was difficult for the more familiar red head, as two espadas tried to stay by his side as he entered through the door.

"So why did you need helpfinding the shower room?" Ulquiorra asked.

Ichigo threw ideas around, but couldn't find any good way to explain. Grimmjow seemed to take the responsibility upon himself. "He hit his head really hard. Ever since he's been a bit loopy."

"Hey! I am not loopy!" The espada promptly ignored his indignant cry. He sighed, resisting the urge to yell it until they responded. He _hated_ it when people called him something akin to insane... It made him think they were on to him having a hollow in his head.

They lead him to a door with a number nine on it. He set his clothes on a shelf inside the plain white shower stall, shutting the shelf's glass door. He figured it was to keep his items dry. He raised a brow when Ulquiorra and Grimmjow didn't leave. "I think I can figure out what to do from here."

"I dunno," Grimmjow commented, smirking. "You seem pretty confused lately. Need help undressing?"

Ichigo cursed the way his face heated up. "No, I've got it." _Act cool_.

"No," said Ulquiorra, agreeing with Grimmjow. "You have to be supervised at all times so you don't hit your head again."

"Yeah, he hit his head just walking down the hall," said Grimmjow.

"It's a small shower..."

"Then you're more likely to get hurt," Grimmjow replied. It was obvious the espada really didn't care whether Ichigo hit his head again or not. Ichigo managed to get in and slam the door in the espada's face. He sighed in relief.

The door swung open with surprising ease, revealing the sixth. "Forgot to lock it, dumb ass."

Ichigo wondered if his face could get any hotter. "I'm just not gonna take a shower. I was supposed to meet Aizen today, anyways." However, his exit was blocked.

"Don't act like such a sissy. We're all guys."

He was going to say, _Yeah... and you think I'm your boyfriend, and Ulquiorra seems to like hopping into bed with me,_ but instead found himself saying, "I guess so." He hated his mouth for betraying him in such a way.

* * *

_A.N: Reviews give my fingers energy to type up new chapters..._

_OH! and tell me if you want a shower scene to happen, remembering it won't be explicit cuz this fic is rated **T**. And who you'd want to be in the shower if you want the scene to happen._

_Next chappie, both Ichigo's meet a different Aizen! How will alt Ichi deal with the one who scarred him for life? How will our Ichigo deal with the one who tortured an alternate him, when he doesn't really care?  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_A.N: K, so I updated quickly again. Blegh, I'm so exhausted... Couldn't sleep last night... But anyways! Thank you to the so very wonderful reviewers, who get to pick a candy out of the cyber basket! ((Holds out basket with tons of candy)) LOL, candy from a stranger, anyone? XD So thank you tooooo... drum roll please..._

_**ladyaffirmed**, **GrimmjowIchigoforever**,** Matie**,** Yoshitaka**,** TealEyedBeing**,** Randomidiot15**,** xXKimochiWatariXx**, **Panther X**,** Kitsune's Dark Shadow**,** Dark Green Poop**, **masterofmercury**,** ThierryMyst**, and** DixieDiamond**._

_Couldn't have done it without ya guys! :D And, again, if I missed someone, pleasetell me._

_Disclaimer: Own nada, except a bit of the randomness that we call plot within my fanfic._

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The alternate Ichigo followed Grimmjow down many white halls. Said espada had to keep yanking his hand from the shinigami's, who seemed to unconsciously try and hold hands with him.

Stopping before a pair of doors, slightly larger than all the others, Grimmjow turned to the red head. "Right. Now leave me alone." Ichigo gripped the sixth's arm before he could leave. "What if it really _is_ Aizen, though? How am I supposed to face him alone? After what he's done to me?"

_What the hell's Aizen done to make him so scared?_ Grimmjow, the cat that he was, decided he wanted to find out what would happen next. Even if Aizen punished him for bringing an enemy straight to him. One of those weird things Gin said came to him. _Curiosity killed the cat_. Then again, he'd also heard a second part to it... _But satisfaction brought it back._

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Ichigo wondered if the showers in Las Noches could really fit more than one person. Grimmjow had just shewed Ulquiorra away with some threat, sounding quite possessive while he did so. It took only seconds for Ichigo to learn that, yes, the stalls could fit two people. Snugly, that is.

Grimmjow's expression was both sly and smug. "Need help undressing, Ichi?"

"I've got it," Ichigo replied, flushing furiously as he grabbed the bottom of his shirt. Soaked, his clothes were practically a second skin, and in the cramped space, removing clothes _was _a bit of a challenge.

The espada put his hands besides Ichigo's on the shirt. "Lemme do it."

Ichigo gulped, raising his hands to assist. He shivered when surprisingly warm hands brushed up his body as they removed his shirt. And now that he looked at Grimmjow, having been too embarrassed to before, he wished he had continued to keep his gaze away.

The sixths clothes were equally stuck to his skin. His half jacket barely covered anything, the glistening water dripping down his chistled chest nearly giving Ichigo a nose bleed. Usually done up blue hair was stuck to the arrancar's forehead, hanging over heated blue eyes. Ichigo found himself unable to look away.

His view was blocked for a moment as his shirt was pulled over his head. It was impossible for him to keep his eyes from going back to Grimmjow's sexy, wet, glistening form. Hands found their way to the other man's chest, as he slipped the half jacket off hard shoulders. His breath caught in his throat at the full picture of the muscled man before him, as he found himself unable to keep from touching.

Grimmjow leaned forward, pushing Ichigo into the wall. Ichigo gasped as those smooth, warm lips pressed against his, pressing back desperately. Nails dug into Grimmjow's shoulders as he snaked his tongue into Ichigo's mouth, the taste of the strawberry strangely different but nonetheless delicious. He lowered his mouth to the shinigami's chin, then neck, sucking on the tender flesh. Ichigo threw his head back, stars flashing across his vision as it hit the shower wall.

Ichigo moaned as those skillful lips ran down his chest, taking their time, as sharp nips pierced flesh, a talented tongue easing away any trace of pain.

It was when Grimmjow reached Ichigo's boxers- when had his pants come off?- that the red head realized what was happening. He fought his hormones, barely, as he managed to pull Grimmjow back up to his lips, meeting in a needy kiss. They reluctantly pulled back, gasping in breaths of the thick, moist shower air.

Ichigo forced a smile, as he managed to catch his breath. "Uh... so where's the shampoo?"

"I suppose you need help with washing your hair, too?"

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Alternate Ichigo took the few necessary steps to enter the throne room. He turned to Grimmjow, eyes wide and horrified. "It _is_ Aizen!"

"No duh," said Grimmjow. "What the hell'd he do to you?"

Ichigo wasn't listening. "He's in charge of Las Noches? Am I in a nightmare?"

"You're just crazy."

Still Ichigo ignored the arrancar, insanely talking to himself. "It can't be real. Just a dream, just a dream..." He focused his attention back on Grimmjow. "Pinch me."

Grimmjow didn't see a reason to turn down the request. It sounded enjoyable, for him at the very least. So he pinched the shinigami.

Ichigo flinched. "I'm _not_ dreaming?" Before he could continue to ramble, the voice he had learned to fear spoke.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. You're here for Inoue, are you not?"

"I'm not," Ichigo confirmed. "I'm here to be with Grimmjow. What are _you_ doing here?" He seemed oblivious to the confused looks shot at him.

"I'm here because I created Las Noches," Aizen said slowly, as if speaking to a three-year-old. "Grimmjow, care to explain what he means about being here to be with you?"

Said espada found his face heating up, and unfairly so, as he remembered how Ichigo kept trying to _attack_ him... "You'd have to ask him."

Ichigo glared at Grimmjow. "I see. Aizen takes over Las Noches, so you dennounce our love."

_Is he **trying** to get Aizen to kill me? I hope stupid Aizen realizes how insane Kurosaki sounds. _To Aizen, Grimmjow said, "I ain't gotta clue 'bout what he's saying."

Ichigo's feelings of betrayal were overpowering his fear of Aizen. He turned to the head of las Noches. "If you're truly in charge here, then you'd know what number I am."

Aizen raised a brow, getting to his feet. "They number shinigami?"

"Espada," Ichigo clarified, pulling up his right sleeve to reveal the curvy nine.

It was strange, but Ichimaru seemed to appear out of no where. Grimmjow figured he had been hiding in the shadows, a common occurrence. He also figured the man was going to say another one of his weird things.

"Let me get this straight." His smile was as creepy as usual. "Grimmjow is number 6, Ichigo is number 9, and Ichigo also claims they have a relationship together?"

Grimmjow had no clue what the man was getting at, but Ichigo was blushing furiously. "That's just coincidence!" shouted the red head, flinching back in surprise at the realization that Aizen was now before him. He inched closer to Grimmjow. "Get away from me."

"I never did anything to you, shinigami," said Aizen. "Aside from steal away Orihime and plan for Rukia's execution."

"You've done much worse!" Ichigo turned pleading eyes to Grimmjow. "You know, right?"

"That you're crazy? Yeah, I'm well aware."

Ichigo took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, before turning back to Aizen. Fear could still be seen in his eyes. "I refuse to work under you."

Aizen stared at him for a moment. "Why would you ever work for me in the first place?"

Ichigo huffed, gripping Grimmjow's hand. The unexpecting espada found the grip too tight to be removed.

The leader of Las Noches hid a smirk as an idea came to mind. It would be the perfect punishment for all the times Grimmjow had disobeyed him, and it would keep Ichigo from ruining his plans.

"Grimmjow, I have a new mission for you."

Said espada knew he wasn't going to like this.

"Go to the human realm with Ichigo, go to school with him, just blend in. Get Ichigo's family to agree to letting you stay with them."

"You want me to stay with this guy? He keeps trying to molest me!"

"Grimmjow." Aizen's voice was firm, strict, and absolute. "You will do as I say."

The sixth crossed his arms but didn't respond. He knew when he was beat.

"You will keep an eye on his friends with him."

"If I go to earth, they'll drag me off to soul society." Ichigo said this matter-of-factly, raising a brow. "You expect me to fall for this death trap?"

"You're confused, Kurosaki. Trust me when I say you'll be fine. Grimmjow, on the other hand, needs to keep his temper in check and be careful."

_Great_, thought Ichigo. _I have no choice but to hope I can trust a guy who's done horrid things to me._ Still, he knew it to be his only option. Even Aizen was more trustworthy than Rukia. Well, unless Aizen wanted to talk to him alone.

_At least I'll have Grimmjow_.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, was thinking, _I should've just killed him when I had the chance._

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It had taken a while, but Ichigo and Grimmjow had finally gotten out of the shower and dressed. Grimmjow seemed to be under the impression that Ichigo couldn't do anything himself and had taken the chance to dress the shinigami.

As they made their way to the dungeons, where Aizen was supposedly kept, Ichigo wondered what he would find. This time when Grimmjow reached for his hand, Ichigo allowed it. _Just to blend in_, he told himself. Still, he couldn't stop remembering how the sixth had looked, chest glistening, water running down smooth skin. He bit his lip, willing the images away. _Damn that man. Why's he gotta go and be so damn alluring?_

His thoughts were cut off as they stopped before a door, as plain as the rest. When Ichigo opened it, he was greeted with an ocean of black, unable to make a single judgement on the room. He stepped in, willing himself not to jump at the sound of the door slamming shut. He let Grimmjow lead him, eyes slowly adjusting.

Musky and damp air stuck to his skin, sweat forming on his brow at the mixture of humidity and heat. The pathway was narrow, a wall on one side and barred cells on the other. They were notably empty.

After walking for what seemed to be days, Grimmjow finally stopped. Ichigo was forced to follow suit as his hand wouldn't move any further. He turned to the espada guestioningly.

"You sure you wanna go through with this?" Grimmjow was able to make out Ichigo's nod with his feline eyes. "K, but tell me when you've had enough and I'll getcha outta here."

A few more feet in silence, and everything got slowly brighter. Grimmjow stopped him once more. Despite the brighter area they were in, everything was more of a shadow. That's why Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin when something slammed into the bars, a hand reaching out towards him. He was loathe to admit it, but he had backed into Grimmjow for some form of support.

A crazed voice echoed throughout the halls, the starter of the echo right in front of him. "Been a while, hasn't it, Ichigo? Why don't you come in here?" Something kept Ichigo from moving, as he found himself immobile. Strange, creepy pictures flashed before his eyes, as he got his answer on why he should fear the man. "You raped me!" The shouted words rang in his ears as they bounced off the walls, leaving a brief silence behind.

Aizen's toothy smirk was plainly visible within the shadows, light shining off spookily white teeth. "And worse. Did you forget, Ichi-kun?"

The nickname sent shivers down his spine, bringing forth memories that didn't belong to him. Horrible memories that he was glad to not have experienced. He took a deep breath. He could do this. He didn't really know this man.

"You said you wanted to speak with me." Aizen's grin widened, brown eyes sadistic. "Yes. I'm your real father." Ichigo found this so incredulous, his fear nearly melted away. "I know you're not, jack ass. What did you want to tell me?"

A disgruntled sigh was heard, the man's eyes losing the insane edge. His manic grin fell into a simple frown. "I wanted to see how you're doing. Apologize, I guess."

"Well you're doing a horrible job of it."

"Seeing you again had made me forget my intent. I was taken aback by how well you've healed. Physically and mentally." Ichigo didn't know quite how to reply, finding it unnecessary when Aizen continued. "I apologize. But only because Urahara said he'd free me if I did."

"That's impossible," Grimmjow argued, speaking to Aizen for the first time. "He wouldn't allow you to go out there and traumatize more passerbys."

"You misunderstand. He's letting me stay in las Noches, freely."

"Grimmjow." Ichigo may not truly know Aizen, but the mere thought made him feel sick. "Get me out of here."

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_A.N: Tell me if I need to up the rating, cuz I don't want this to get deleted... And feel free to criticise my work so I can do better! Please Review! Oh, and if you don't get the 6 and 9 joke that Gin made, then... consider yourself one of the few lucky ones out there XD_

_**Explanation: **Our!Ichigo knows a bit of AU!Ichigo's memories because they're connected, and it was such a tragic event that even he could remember it._


	5. Chapter 5

_A.N: Next chapter galore! Sorry if it's a bit slow... The next one should be better :p Thank you to my wonderful reviewers:_

_**GrimmjowIchigoforever**, **Dark Green Poop**, **Yoshitaka**, **Panther X**, **Un-un-Schizo**, **Randomidiot15**, **oneluckyduck Sponge Fan**, **ThierryMyst**, **KiriUchiha**, **dishrag-chan**, **Matie**, **TealEyedBeing**, and **Kitsune's Dark Shadow.**_

_This time you get cyber plushies, one of any character in this story! YAY! ((cough)) Um... yeah._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Not today, not tomorrow, not yesterday. Nope, not even right now. Never. :(_

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Alt Ichigo stood before his front door with his finger hovering above the doorbell, Grimmjow by his side.

The arrancar was growing irritated. They had just been standing there for ten minutes straight, Ichigo frozen in place. Impatience getting the best of him, he gave the door a few hard knocks.

The red head glared at him. "I wasn't ready."

"You'd be dead before you were ready."

The door swung open before Ichigo could retort. He gasped, tears forming in brown eyes as they landed on Karin. "You're alive!" He had her in a death-grip within seconds, the poor girl both confused and annoyed. "Ichi-nii, get _off_ of me! Of course I'm alive!"

The red head stood back up. "What about Yuzu? Is she alive too?" His voice radiated hope.

"I dunno," Karin said sarcastically. "Might've died of old age."

"That isn't funny." Ichigo had said this seriously. The conversation was cut short as a goat-faced man showed up, launching himself at Ichigo.

"My son! You've returned in one piece!"

Ichigo hugged the man back. After all, _he'd_ been gone for over a year. He had no clue that, to everyone else, he'd been gone for a mere weak. "Yeah, and finally, too."

Isshin pulled back, not questioning his son's friendliness. He could sense something off, yet it still seemed to be his son... "And who's this?"

"Oh!" Ichigo instantly perked up. "Grimmjow! He's my-."

"-friend," Grimmjow cut in.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, slowly, as if deciding whether or not to go along with this. He pulled a paper from his pocket. It was a speech Aizen had prepared for him. "Right. So... Ah, here's where it starts." Only Karin seemed to notice that when he began to speak again, he was reading off the paper.

"You see, I was just on my way home, when I suddenly passed out in the middle of the street. Many people were walking by, but only Grimmjow pulled me out of the street. He saved me, but has nowhere to stay himself. Read with emotion."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. Did the shinigami have _any_ brains?

Isshin, however, seemed to believe every word. "Yes, you may stay with us! What a great deed you have performed!"

Yuzu seemed equally convinced, nodding vigorously. "Any friend of Ichi-nii is welcome."

Karin had already walked back into the house, having had enough.

"I guess you can stay in Ichigo's room, then," said Isshin. "His bed should be plenty big."

Grimmjow found his face heating up. Sharing a bed with the shinigami? What if Ichigo molested him in his sleep? "Ah... don't you think..."

Ichigo was intent on keeping him from finishing his sentence. "Yeah, definitely a good idea."

To top everything off, Szayel's Gigai had made him look exactly the same, just without the mask. Fangs, teal hair, and claws didn't blend in too well. They failed to keep him under a visual radar. Though the Gigai did keep shinigami sensors from going off, that was about it.

_Great. Better prepare myself for hell_.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his siblings were alive. It was too shocking for him to process, having yet to fully soak in.

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To say Ichigo was depressed would be an understatement. He felt like the world was tearing into itty bitty pieces, leaving him to grasp for them in the hope of gaining sanity. What was making him so miserable?

Not Grimmjow. The arrancar was surprisingly easy to be around, if Ichigo were to go along with the affections shown unto him.

Not Ulquiorra. He seemed to get the hint that Ichigo was _not_ going to be with him. That didn't mean he stopped staring, but the red head could deal with that. Besides, when Ulquiorra wasn't staring, his company could be enjoyable.

Not even the fact that he was somewhere so similar yet so very different was dampening his mood. What was bothering him was a brown haired, brown eyed man by the name of Aizen Sosuke. He had been roaming around Las Noches like he owned the place, using his strong reiatsu to control the weaker arrancar. Every once in a while he'd pay Ichigo a visit. When that happened, said Shinigami always made sure he had someone else with him. He didn't want to deal with the man alone.

The fear of his other self plagued his mind, as he found himself unable to get rid of it. And it was very unfair, in his opinion, since he hadn't even gone through the horrible experiences. He wondered, if the memories did this to him, what was his alternate self like around Aizen?

Rukia had also been released to wonder Las Noches, but he found himself unable to care. Any alternate memories about her weren't surfacing. Every once in a while he'd get a foreign sense of hate towards her, but it was distant and not his own. She had reiatsu suppressers to keep her from becoming a danger, anyways.

Ichigo was currently in a meeting, Grimmjow obviously on one of his sides, Szayel on the other. The scientist seemed to be onto him, though he couldn't find it in him to care. Who would belive the eighth espada when it came to something so unrealistic?

Still, the espada was making him feel nervous.

"And," said Urahara, as Ichigo refocused his attention, "I would like Ichigo to go to the human world with Aizen after this meeting to check on the enemy. See if Ishida and Chad are up to anything. Make sure Ichimaru isn't trying to start an army again."

Indeed, the world was against him. Ichigo knew it as a fact now. "Can't I go with _anyone_ else? Or make someone take my place?"

Urahara lifted a fan in front of his face, hiding his smile. "No. You need to be able to get past your fear. That will only happen if you spend time together."

"I'll go instead," Grimmjow volunteered.

"No, I will," insisted Ulquiorra. Ichigo figured that the fourth was trying to earn points in Ichigo's book.

"I'll go to collect statistics." Okay, Ichigo had no excuse for why Szayel would volunteer. Statistics? There had to be more to it than that.

Urahara raised a hand to silence the group before anyone else could volunteer. "Ichigo will go with Aizen. End of discussion. Now, as for the new food..."

The rest of the meeting droned on, as Ichigo tried to think a way out of this one. He could just ditch, but that wasn't realistic. Urahara would find out, and Ichigo neither knew nor wanted to know how the man punished his underlings.

Sighs of relief were heard as the meeting finally ended. Ichigo wasn't contributing to that, as no relief welled up within him. He would've been happy with the meeting continuing on forever, as long as he wouldn't have to face the psycho brunette.

"Well that sucks," said Grimmjow, matter-of-factly. "Just get the mission over with and ignore Aizen."

Ichigo decided not to point out that he would _have_ to pay attention to Aizen if he were to go on a mission with him. It was rare for Grimmjow to give him advice, after all.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." Ichigo must have said the right thing, because Grimmjow seemed satisfied with himself. Pushing the oddity from his mind Ichigo looked around for the-horrible-one. It was when he appeared before him that he accidently fell back into the sixth, wondering why he always ended up doing that around Aizen.

"Let's just get this over with," said Ichigo, almost grumbling it.

Aizen shot Ichigo a look that sent shivers down his spine, and not the pleasant kind. He didn't stand too close to the crazed man.

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Back in Karakura town, Grimmjow was trying to figure out how to use the silverware, as Ichigo was oblivious to Karin's studious gaze, stuffing in mouthfulls of mashed potato.

"You know, normally you eat with more manners," Karin pointed out to her older brother.

Ichigo swallowed his bite before speaking. "Whatcha mean?"

"You barely chew, and you're shoveling food."

Isshin got to his feet. "Oh, my Karin is so grown up! She's already prepared to take care of children!"

The girl punched her father square in the jaw, sending him crashing into a wall. "Can't you be normal for one meal?"

Grimmjow raised a brow as Isshin started crying to a poster of a red haired woman, who he figured was Ichigo's mother.

Ichigo himself seemed to be delighted. Smiling brightly, he scooted closer to Grimmjow. In turn, the espada scooted farther away. School was going to be such a blast...

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Ichigo was trying his best to ignore the babbling insane man. But there was only so much he could do.

"Did you know that Ichimaru and I were good friends before I was kicked out of the seretei? We would go for long walks, and..."

"Can you _shut_ _up_?" Ichigo demanded. "Just show me the way to him so we can get this over with."

Aizen smirked. "But then we wouldn't get to spend as much time together."

"Yeah, that's sorta the point." The longer he spent with the man, the more disturbing memories he would get.

"OK," Aizen agreed. "I'll lead you to Ichimaru."

Ichigo gave a sigh of relief. "About time."

"For a kiss."

Ichigo stared at Aizen blankly for a moment. His expression didn't change as he spoke. "No way. That's sick, and who knows what I'll remember?"

The grin Ichigo received was creepy. "Then we'll just have to tell Urahara we couldn't find him."

"Yeah, well, Urahara..." Ichigo trailed off. _Is it possible that Ichimaru lives where Urahara did? _Not waiting for Aizen, he took off with sonido's in the direction of what should've been the Urahara-shouten.

Aizen must've managed to keep up, because he stopped beside Ichigo almost exactly when Ichigo himself had stopped.

The red head grinned as he took in the building before him. It looked exactly the same as Urahara's, except it said _Ichimaru's shouten_.

"How'd you know where to find this?" Aizen demanded, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Lucky guess."

"No," said Aizen. "You knew. How?"

Ichigo wasn't even going to tell Grimmjow that he was from an alternate universe, let alone Aizen. "How do you think?"

Ichigo was thankful when a new voice spoke, though it was creepy in its familiarity.

"Ichigo, Aizen. Not shopping, I suppose?"

The red head raised a brow. "How did you know my name?"

Ichimaru's fox eyes stayed the same. "You forget so easily. We met in soul society when you were trying to stop Rukia's execution."

Apparently some things never change. At least not completely, so he'd have to still be careful. "Yeah, I remember..."

"Come in. I'll have Jinta make you some tea. Then we can discuss the army I'm cooking up."

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_A.N: Reviews highly appreciated. As always, I like constructive criticism. :D And next chappie should be out in a couple of days. Blegh... feel kinda ill though... LOL_


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